Review
Copyright ©2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastrointest Pathophysiol. May 15, 2014; 5(2): 100-106
Published online May 15, 2014. doi: 10.4291/wjgp.v5.i2.100
Endoscopic surveillance strategy after endoscopic resection for early gastric cancer
Tsutomu Nishida, Masahiko Tsujii, Motohiko Kato, Yoshito Hayashi, Tomofumi Akasaka, Hideki Iijima, Tetsuo Takehara
Tsutomu Nishida, Masahiko Tsujii, Motohiko Kato, Yoshito Hayashi, Tomofumi Akasaka, Hideki Iijima, Tetsuo Takehara, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita 565-0871, Japan
Author contributions: Nishida T wrote the manuscript; Tsujii M, Kato M, Hayashi Y, Akasaka T, Iijima H and Takehara T provided scientific editing and assisted with writing the manuscript.
Correspondence to: Tsutomu Nishida, MD, PhD, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 Japan. tnishida@gh.med.osaka-u.ac.jp
Telephone: +81-6-68793621 Fax: +81-6-68793629
Received: December 11, 2013
Revised: January 24, 2014
Accepted: March 13, 2014
Published online: May 15, 2014
Abstract

Early detection of early gastric cancer (EGC) is important to improve the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer. Recent advances in endoscopic modalities and treatment devices, such as image-enhanced endoscopy and high-frequency generators, may make endoscopic treatment, such as endoscopic submucosal dissection, a therapeutic option for gastric intraepithelial neoplasia. Consequently, short-term outcomes of endoscopic resection (ER) for EGC have improved. Therefore, surveillance with endoscopy after ER for EGC is becoming more important, but how to perform endoscopic surveillance after ER has not been established, even though the follow-up strategy for more advanced gastric cancer has been outlined. Therefore, a surveillance strategy for patients with EGC after ER is needed.

Keywords: Early gastric cancer, Endoscopic resection, Synchronous gastric cancer, Metachronous gastric cancer, Surveillance

Core tip: Recent advances in endoscopic modalities and treatment devices may make endoscopic treatment, such as endoscopic submucosal dissection, a therapeutic option for early gastric cancer (EGC). Consequently, short-term outcomes of endoscopic resection (ER) for EGC have improved. Therefore, surveillance with endoscopy after ER for EGC is becoming more important, but how to perform endoscopic surveillance after ER has not been established, even though the follow-up strategy for more advanced gastric cancer has been outlined. In this review, we discuss clinical problems in surveillance after ER for EGC.